1. Field Of The Invention
This invention relates to blood and liquid analyzers, and more particularly concerns an electrode unit and an electrode package for use in an analyzer of blood and of liquids.
2. Description Of The Prior Art
Prior art blood analyzers have included a package of electrode units arranged in series and in abutting relationship so that a single blood sample may be passed through a series of electrode units to determine the contents in the blood of selected components such as potassium, sodium, and carbon dioxide. Such conventional electrode units have run into problems which have produced inaccurate readings For example, the readings from a sodium electrode may drift because of changes in ambient temperature, because of electrical noise, and because of carry over from one blood sample to the next, even though there is a wash-out cycle between blood samples.
Passing the blood sample from one electrode unit to the next has been a problem which conventional electrode unit packages have tried to solve by providing washer seals of Teflon synthetic fluorine-containing resin between electrode units. But the Teflon synthetic fluorine-containing resin flows and creates obstructions to the passage of the blood which causes turbulence and electrical noise which throws off the reading.
Also, conventional electrode units contain a bottle with an upper neck and two side arm port passages The interior elements of the electrode unit including the bottle are encapsulated in an insulating material The process of encapsulating the interior elements often cracked the bottle which is weak, and the bottle would break at the shoulder portion of the side arms during the encapsulating, or the bottle would break when force was exerted on a package of abutting electrode units to hold them together in alignment. If insufficient force is exerted on the ends of the electrode unit package, the elements of the electrode unit did not hold their alignment. If too much force is exerted on the ends of the electrode unit package to hold them together in alignment, the bottle breaks, and the filler solution in the bottle leaks out
For further background in this art, U.S. Patent No. 3,853,732, issued Dec. 10, 1974, to Brand and Rao, is incorporated herein by reference.